59pc not ready for job market

Fifty-nine per cent of the 12,000 people registered under the National Employment Centre (NEC) are not ready for the job market, according to a recent survey.

This was revealed yesterday during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Fiji National University and the National Employment Centre.

Director for National Training and Productivity Centre of the Fiji National University Kamlesh Prakash said the university through NEC provided a whole range of tests which "tells the employer about the skills of the unemployed individuals".

He said the findings were the result of an aptitude test taken by a selection of school dropouts as well as those still in high schools from the Central, Western and Northern divisions.

"The tests help the employer to select the right individuals for the job," he said.

Mr Prakash said the university was in charge of the facility "providing a whole battery of test to students to gauge their aptitude and IQ level".

He said part of the training involved career guidance and counselling in which the university provided service to help students into desired areas of work according to the test results.

FNU vice-chancellor Dr Ganesh Chand said the objective was to gain full employment of the youths.

He said employment generation led to poverty alleviation which in turn prepared the youths for the job market.

Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Jone Usamate said a strong skilled learning force that was committed could be a source of attraction for investment.

He said greater employment prospect was a policy of the government.

"We have to make sure that everything we do leads to employment," he said.